TURKISH LOCAL CUISINES

CENTRAL ANATOLIA

MAIN THEME: GRAINS AND PULSES

Conference by Hasan Açanal

PREPARATIONS

• Keskek
• Mantı
• Su Böreği
• Asure

KEsKEK

Ingredients

1 kg wheat, soaked overn 353b16d ight in 2 lt water

250 gr veal, cubed

250 gr chicken, cubed

1 lt meat stock

Salt to taste

Method

Put wheat and the water in which it has soaked in a large bowl. Add 2 liters water and boil on medium fire for 2 hours. Add veal and chicken cubes and meat stock. Boil on low fire for another 2 hours. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon without touching the bottom of the bowl. Boil for another hour until the consistency of a paste while crushing the meat and chicken cubes with the spoon. Serve hot with red pepper flakes melted in butter.

MANTI

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 egg yolk

1 ts salt

1 cup water

Filling

250 gr minced meat

1 medium size onion, chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped

1 tbs tomato paste

1 ts red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Filling

Mix meat, onion, parsley, tomato paste, red pepper, salt and pepper and set aside.

Put flour in a tray. Make a hole in the middle. Put egg yolk and water. Mix and knead for 5 minutes. Let stand half an hour.

Put dough on a flat floured surface

Divide lemon big portions of dough and open until 1 mm thick.

Cut squares of 2x2 cm. Place chickpea big portions in the middle of each square.

Close on top. Put individual portions of mantı in salted boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes.

Serve hot with yogurt and garlic sauce and melted butter with red pepper flakes.

SU BÖREĞİ w White Cheese

Ingredients

4 cups flour

2 cups water

5 egg yolks

1 ts salt

4 tbs butter

1 lt milk

Filling

250 gr white cheese (crumbled)

1 bunch parsley (chopped)

Method

Put flour in a tray. Make a hole in the middle. Put 4 egg yolks, 1 tbs melted butter and water. Mix and knead for 10 minutes. Let stand half an hour.

Put dough on a flat floured surface

Divide lemon big portions of dough and open until 2 mm thick.

Put the dough sheets in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and let them stand in a big bowl full with ice cold water.

Grease an oven tray. Mix milk with 3 tbs melted butter.

Put 2 layers of dough and one layer of filling. Pour 1 cup milk and butter mixture on every layer. Brush the layer on top with 1 egg yolk.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 C for 35 minutes.

Serve hot.

Note: You can also use a mixture of minced meat, parsley, onion and crumbled walnuts as an alternative filling or both.

AsURE

Ingredients

1 cup wheat (soaked overnight)

1/2 cup chick pea (soaked overnight)

1/4cup white beans (soaked overnight)

1/4cup rice

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dried apricots (diced)

1/2 cup dried figs (diced)

1/2 cup dried raisins

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup walnuts (crumbled)

1/2 cup black currants

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Method

Put wheat, chickpeas and white beans in 4 cups water and boil on medium heat for 2 hours.

Add 1 cup water, rice, sugar, apricots, figs and raisins and cook on low fire for another 30-35 minutes. Pour in individual bowls and let cool.

Garnish each bowl with nuts, currants and pomegranate seeds. Serve cold.